Arms and Socialism of north Korea

In the mid-1990s called the days of "Arduous March" in the history of north Korea Kim Jong Il, chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was firmly convinced that the destiny of the people and the future of socialism depend on arms and that difficulties could be surmounted and socialism lead to victory by relying not on the working class but on the army and enriched Songun leadership. While priority was given to the army to tide over the bitter trials, the philosophy that the army is one and the same with the Party, the state and the people was founded, and the Songun thought that the cause of socialism can be achieved victoriously only by the pivotal and leading role of the army was laid down. Now Songun politics was completely established as a political mode.

The Party and the government are guides and political weapons for advancing the socialist cause, whereas the army is the pillar and main force of the revolution the Party and the state rely on. Unless they are guaranteed by the army, the Party and the government cannot be maintained and the destiny of the country and the people are inconceivable. Only when the Party and the government are backed up by the army can they function as the general staff of the revolution and represent the interests of the people, and victoriously advance the cause of socialism even in any storm and stress.

The army has become invincible in north Korea under the Songun politics. In north Korea, unlike in countries that go in for the "depoliticization" of the armed forces, the army has grown into a formidable army true to its mission as the army of the Party and the revolution and perfect in political and ideological aspects. Under the slogan “We can live on without toffees but cannot do without bullets,” north Korea has given top priority to the building up of powerful military force, and consequently come to have a strong revolutionary army fully prepared both militarily and technologically.

Because it has such a strong army, north Korea has been able to shatter every pressure offensive made by the US on the plea of the "nuclear issue," and defend its socialism. Today, too, it counters the "sole superpower's" hard line with a tougher policy. If the army of north Korea was weak, the US would have doubtlessly unleashed a war on the Korean Peninsula, and seized it as it had done in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Songun politics is intended not merely to counter the military dominationism of the imperialists. It has remarkably strengthened the unity and cohesion of the whole society in north Korea.

Socialism is a society that develops by dint of the united might of the popular masses, and the might of socialism is exactly that of single-hearted unity. Under the Songun politics the Korean People's Army has grown up into an army strong in thoughts and faith, and the revolutionary spirit, fighting morale, way of work and life and other military traits created by the KPA soldiers have rapidly spread through society, with the result that the oneness of the army and the people have risen to a new high. The army and the people have become one socio-political organism, and share the same fate with each other, firmly united round their leader and the Party. This is the present looks of north Korean society. No force in the world can prevail over them.

The Songun politics has become the key to open up bright prospects also in the economic construction. Under the politics the KPA functions not only as the defender of the country and peace but also as the builder of the people's welfare, leading the entire people and energetically propelling socialist construction. The army solves difficult and important problems of the economic sector, thus making a breakthrough in economic growth. Learning from their revolutionary spirit, fighting morale and way of work, all people work with invincible fortitude, scoring surprising successes in production and construction. It was affirmed in the West that north Korea would not be able to rise again from its worst economic crisis, but north Korea took a dramatic turn for economic recovery and development by the united efforts of the soldiers and the people but and is dynamically marching forward towards the construction of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation.

Today the north Koreans regard arms as socialism and their lifeline. All of them, therefore, love arms, support the Songun politics, and remain true to it.